Motobecane

It’s no secret we love mopeds. But having said that, it’s been a long time between drinks for us, ‘ped-wise. Nine months, to be precise. Are we embarrassed that we haven’t done more to support our be-pedalled brethren? A little, but where here tonight to set things right. And how. Here’s one of the best-looking mopeds we’ve seen since the Janus Paragon. Meet “Moby 5” and her proud maker, Craig Dueck.

I’ve been blessed/cursed over the past couple of weeks with the task of designing a seat for my new bike. Everything else on the thing is sorted (well, in my head and on paper at least) except for that goddamn arse receptacle. In one memorable session I sat down with a note book and pencil and drew no less than 25 different shapes, each one only a few grains of HB graphite different from the last, yet all totally unique. And none quite right. One looks like a fighter from Battlestar Galactica. The next one a shovel. And then a loaf of bread. And on it goes. Until slowly I realise I’m going a little bit crazy. But obviously not as crazy as the boys from the coolest Parisian ‘ped shop we know, Children of Decadence. They spent so long on their seat it started to look like a slab of rare roast beef. And you know what? It really kinda does.

There’s not many vehicles in Australia that would earn you a police search and a close inspection of the business end of a boom stick, but believe it or not this bike would. Because it’s illegal. Actually it would also be illegal in Britain, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Netherlands and even Canada. Not because it exceeds any noise or build restrictions but because those big-ass brass knuckles under the seat. You see, knuckle dusters are illegal in most countries. In France where the Motobecane Moped rolled off the production line 30 years ago, brass knuckles are legal, but carrying them requires a license – not a bike license either. The French term for knuckle dusters is ‘coup de poing américain’, literally ‘an American punch’. So we think it’s fitting that an American, Jarrett Petty of Austin Texas gave this French moped a serious make over. You could call it an ‘American Punch’ to the eye balls.